Friday, 23 March 2012

Homemade Vanilla Extract

I use a lot of vanilla extract in my breakfast baking, so I was very pleased when I learned from @violetbakes on Twitter that I could make my own very cheaply. Thank you Eleanor!

I use swingtop bottles that you can find easily and cheaply on the internet to store the vanilla extract. These then make nice gifts.

You need a lot of vanilla pods. It won't be cheap if you buy those individual ones you get in the spice aisle of the supermarket. But you can buy them cheaply in bulk online. I get mine from Vanilla Mart.

As well as the vanilla you'll need some cheap booze. I use white rum or vodka. In fact you don't even need to buy separate bottles you could just remove a bit of the rum or vodka ( using that however you wish :) from the bottle then add the vanilla pods straight into it.

If you are using different bottles, start by sterillising your bottles. I do this in a hot cycle in the dishwasher.

When the bottles are dry I put in 8-10 vanilla pods then add the spirit. I then put it in a dark place, shaking it once a week. You need to leave it at least a month but 3 is best to get the best flavour.

As you use the extract you can top it up with more spirit. When I need a pod for cooking I'll fish when on the rum infused ones out, and replace with a fresh one